Apologize
by geniusgurl.777
Summary: Kind of Little Mermaid-ish---Two best friends, Aria and Rachelle, run away from their home in the ocean to live as humans. They meet their "Aunt Gwen" and her husband and son, an extremely attractive guy whom both mermaids instantly fall in love with.


**Hey this is my first story...and I'm mainly just doing this so my friend can let me read her stories and tell me her Quizilla and Fanfiction usernames...*ahem*.**

**So, please to be too mean, this isn't supposed to be the greatest story on earth (actually, this was an independent writing piece for school).**

**And the song "Apologize" is by One Republic, and has nothing to do avec moi!**

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"What would it be like to live on dry land, among the humans? What would it be like to be able to walk?" a young girl wondered wistfully, blackberry tail gently swishing in the azure seawater Her long, ebony hair, which poured down her back like a waterfall, and her striking, lapis lazuli eyes contrasted sharply against her pale skin.

Her friend, who sat on the rock beside her, sighed, "I wish we could go there, too, Aria, but my parents and your parents, the king and queen…" She flicked her tail briefly out of the water, showing a flash of tangerine. A strong breeze swept her lush, golden hair to one side, and her verdant green orbs squinted against the wind.

"Oh!" Aria suddenly cried, "I know how we can leave…" She proceeded to whisper her plan to her blond friend, Rachelle.

***

"Ready?" Aria inquired. Upon seeing Rachelle nod, she counted to three. "Go!"

The two adolescents dove through the small window and swiftly and silently navigated their way through the palace, careful not to wake any guards or set off any alarms. As the two swam towards the surface, Aria thought about her farewell note left on her pillow. What would her parents think of it? What would they do? She pushed these worries to the back of her mind and dashed to catch up to Rachelle.

The quiet splashes that the two girls created as they shattered the still surface of the ocean were the only sounds to be heard for miles around. The girls swam towards the seaside town, Oceanea. As they climbed ashore onto the pale, glittering sand, their tails slowly morphed into pale-skinned legs like those of humans. Fortunately, they knew a fair amount about the American humans, since their moms' friend, "Aunt" Gwen, had run away years ago to be among humans, but still visited occasionally. Therefore, they were able to procure clothing from donation bins for the Salvation Army and soon located Aunt Gwen's residence.

"23 Conch Ct…yep, that's right!" The teenagers ran up the driveway and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, revealing a tired middle-aged woman with mussed auburn hair and hazel eyes.

"Aunt Gwen!"

"Aria! Rachelle!"

The three laughed joyously and went inside for some hot cocoa. They exchanged stories, and Rachelle and Aria learned that Gwen had married a human man, Rayne Waters, and had a son named Zane, who was sixteen like the girls. Arrangements for the girls' stay were being discussed when Rayne and Zane, grumbling, came downstairs to see what was going on.

"Rayne, Zane, these girls are Aria and Rachelle, who will be staying at our house for a while. Aria, Rachelle, Rayne and Zane," Gwen introduced. The older man shook their hands and welcomed them warmly, wishing them an enjoyable stay.

The teenager, however, left a much stronger impression. He had straight, lightly-tousled chestnut hair reaching just beneath his ears; soft, boyish features; and a tall, lanky frame. His eyes, though, were the most striking features he had: they were dark brown, so dark that they almost seemed black, drawing the girls in with his gaze like two black holes. His long lashes curtained his orbs ever so slightly, giving him a bit of a mysterious appearance, even though he was grinning warmly at the guests. Aria inwardly gasped when she gazed at him, suddenly realizing that she was already half in love with him.

Rachelle, too, felt a tingling sense of love for the boy, and she silently groaned with annoyance when she saw that her best friend liked the same guy. In the corner of her mind, she could feel a strange, angry emotion slowly beginning to engulf her thoughts. Startled, she tried to push it back, but it only just started to yield when a new wave of jealousy hit her. _You know she'll surpass you in everything if she gets Zane to like her. And you know she will win this battle of love. So, if you want to win, you have to make sacrifices, including hurting Aria a little bit… _said the taunting voice in her head. After much persuasion, Rachelle succumbed to the little voice and began to plot how to "win" Zane.

***

"Hey Rachelle, I heard that Zane likes girls who can sing really well. There's a talent show in two days, so I might have a chance to show off to him! And plus, I think I really might have a chance with him, since he spends so much time with me," giggled Aria, oblivious to Rachelle's thoughts and feelings. Her blond friend smiled weakly in return, secretly thinking of ways to prevent Zane from hearing Aria sing.

"I could try to find some type of drug that would induce coughing or sore throats, so Aria wouldn't be able to sing…" she muttered to herself. Shaking her head at the silly ideas, she decided to think some more when she returned home.

As Rachelle's luck would have it, Aria started coughing the next morning. She also had a sore throat, so she was having trouble even talking, much less singing. Thus, Rachelle decided to perform in the talent show herself, since she had a beautiful voice as well. _I'm sorry, Aria_, she thought, _but I really do like him, too much to let you have him_.

All during the next day, Rachelle avoided any conversation related to the talent show because she knew she would reveal her plan to her best friend out of guilt. However, Aria's voice was already starting to heal, and she had already guessed that Rachelle was betraying her, so she decided to play her own little trick on Rachelle.

"Hey, are you going to go watch the talent show? I hear the performers are really great!" exclaimed Zane.

Sighing, Aria replied, "Nah, I don't think so. I'll just stay home and rest. Why don't you go with him, Rachelle? You guys have fun."

Anxious and excited for her plan to work, the blond quickly agreed, stating that she was actually planning on performing in the show, and the boy gave his consent, too. They chatted amiably on their way to the auditorium, where the talent show was taking place, stopping to speak to others as they passed them. Rachelle's confidence grew as time went on, so when she stepped into the auditorium, fully prepared to stun her object of affection, she was shocked. Aria was singing "Apologize" by One Republic while staring at Rachelle knowingly.

"_That it's too late to apologize, it's too late_

_I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late."_

Zane, on the other hand, was shocked for quite a different reason. He thought that Aria had the most beautiful voice that he had ever heard, especially since he already liked her from the first moment he saw her. Or was it love? His gaze locked with Aria's, and the two seemed unaware of the world around them.

Rachelle stared at Aria, her best friend since they were born. Without a single word, Rachelle turned abruptly and ran away from the two lovers. She ran back to the beach the two girls had first come up on and dove into the water, salty tears mixing with the sea water. _"I'm sorry."_


End file.
